Green Day celebrated a major career milestone on Sept. 16, when their 1994 album Dookie was certified Double Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was just the 13th album to reach that plateau, which signifies shipments of 20 million albums (or streaming equivalent units) in the U.S.
Double Diamond albums were unthinkable when the RIAA launched its gold awards program in 1958. Only one album was certified gold that year (signifying $1 million in manufacturer’s dollar volume; the criteria later changed) – the soundtrack to the film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s stage musical Oklahoma!, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.
Album sales grew through the 1960s and 1970s, thanks to such blockbusters as The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Carole King’s Tapestry, but there was nothing higher than gold albums until 1976, when the RIAA finally introduced platinum albums (signifying sales of 1 million units). The first platinum album was Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 in February 1976.
Sales continued to grow in the late ’70s and ’80s, leading the RIAA to add multiplatinum awards in October 1984. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was certified that month for sales of 20 million, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours came in at 12 million and the Bee Gees-led Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was certified at 11 million. Though the RIAA wouldn’t coin the terms until later, these three blockbusters were the first Diamond albums – with Thriller being the first Double Diamond album.
There are now 13 Double Diamond albums. As you will see, Eagles are the only act with two Double Diamond albums. Robert John “Mutt” Lange is the only producer with two Diamond Albums, and they couldn’t be much more varied – Shania Twain’s Come on Over and AC/DC’s Back in Black.
Here is every Double Diamond-certified album. We show the release date, record label, producer(s), Billboard 200 peak, RIAA certification history, top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and more. They are listed in ascending order.
Release Date: Feb. 1, 1994
Label: Reprise
Producers: Rob Cavallo, Green Day
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Certification History: Gold: June 14, 1994; Platinum: Aug. 17, 1994; Diamond: Feb. 8, 1999; Double Diamond: Sept. 16, 2024
Top 10 Singles: “When I Come Around” (No. 6) (Hot 100 Airplay peak, was not eligible for Hot 100)
Notes: This was the band’s third studio album; its first for a major label. The album won a Grammy for best alternative music performance.
Release Date: Nov. 4, 1997
Label: Mercury Nashville
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Certification History: Gold & Platinum: Dec. 23, 1997; Diamond: April 7, 1999; Double Diamond: Nov. 15, 2004
Top 10 Singles: “You’re Still the One” (No. 2), “From This Moment On” (No. 4), “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (No. 7).
Notes: This was Twain’s third studio album. It’s the highest-certified album by a female solo artist. Three tracks from the album won a combined total of four Grammys. “You’re Still the One” won best country song and best female country vocal performance in 1999. The following year, “Come on Over” won best country song, while “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” won best female country vocal performance.
Release Date: Feb. 4, 1977
Label: Warner Bros.
Producers: Fleetwood Mac, Ken Caillat, Richard Dashut
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (31 weeks)
Certification History: Gold: Feb. 15, 1977; Platinum: March 9, 1977; Diamond: Oct. 22, 1984; Double Diamond: Oct. 3, 2014
Top 10 Singles: “Go Your Own Way” (No. 10), “Dreams” (No. 1), “Don’t Stop” (No. 3), “You Make Loving Fun” (No. 9)
Notes: This was the 11th studio album by the group; the second by the line-up that made it world-famous. The album topped the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks, which is, to this day, longer than any other album by a group or duo. And it was the first album in history to spawn four top 10 hits on the Hot 100. Fleetwood Mac won two Grammys for album of the year for this album – as both artists and as co-producers. (Grammy rules allowed such double wins for 15 years, but no longer do.)
Release Date: July 5, 1994
Label: Atlantic (now Rhino)
Producer: Don Gehman
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Certification History: Gold: Nov. 10, 1994; Platinum: Jan. 25, 1995; Diamond: Oct. 19, 1995; Double Diamond: May 21, 2018
Top 10 Singles: “Hold My Hand” (No. 10), “Let Her Cry” (No. 9), “Only Wanna Be With You” (No. 6)
Notes: This was the band’s first full-length album. It brought them two Grammys – best new artist and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Let Her Cry.”
Release Date: July 1, 1985
Label: Columbia
Producers: Michael Stewart, Billy Joel, Phil Ramone
Billboard 200 peak: No. 6
Certification History: Gold & Platinum: Oct. 18, 1985; Diamond: Sept. 8, 1997; Double Diamond: April 12, 1999
Top 10 Singles: “You’re Only Human (Second Wind)” (No. 9) plus six previously released hits.
Notes: The RIAA “double counts” double-disc albums, so this album actually sold about 11.5 million units. (Still pretty good.) Joel’s highest-certified single-disc album is The Stranger, which is certified at 11 million. This is the second highest-certified greatest hits album.
Release Date: Nov. 17, 1998
Label: Capitol Nashville
Producer: Allen Reynolds
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Certification history: Gold, Platinum & Diamond: Dec. 17, 1998; Double Diamond: Jan. 26, 2006
Top 10 Singles: None.
Notes: This is the highest-certified country album. Double albums are double-counted. Brooks’ highest-certified single-disk album was No Fences (18 million).
Release Date: Nov. 30, 1979
Label: Columbia
Producers: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, Roger Waters
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (15 weeks)
Certification history: Gold & Platinum: March 13, 1980; Diamond: May 2, 1995; Double Diamond: Sept. 8, 1997
Top 10 Singles: “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (No. 1)
Notes: This was the band’s 11th studio album; its second double album (following 1969’s half-live, half-studio Ummagumma). The Wall received a Grammy nod for album of the year, a rare achievement for a rock album at the time. Double albums are double-counted. Pink Floyd’s highest-certified single-disk album was The Dark Side of the Moon (15 million).
Release Date: Nov. 8, 1971
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Jimmy Page
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Certification history: Gold: Nov. 16, 1971; Platinum & Diamond: Dec. 11, 1990; Double Diamond: May 3, 1999
Top 10 Singles: none.
Notes: This was the band’s fourth album. The lead single, “Black Dog,” peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100. The album also housed “Stairway to Heaven,” one of the most endlessly played non-single album tracks of all time.
Release Date: Nov. 22, 1968
Label: Apple
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Producer: George Martin
Certification history: Gold: Dec. 6, 1968; Platinum: Dec. 26, 1991; Diamond: March 13, 1997; Double Diamond: Feb. 21, 2019
Top 10 Singles: none.
Notes: This was the band’s ninth studio album in the U.S. and their only double album. While no singles were released from the album, many of the songs are widely-known, including “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird” and “Helter Skelter.” Double albums are double-counted. The Beatles’ highest-certified single-disk album was Abbey Road (12 million).
Release Date: Dec. 8, 1976
Label: Asylum (now Rhino)
Producer: Bill Szymczyk
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Certification history: Gold: Dec. 13, 1976; Platinum: Dec. 15, 1976; Diamond: Aug. 12, 1994; Double Diamond: Aug. 20, 2018
Top 10 Singles: “New Kid in Town” (No. 1), “Hotel California (No. 1)
Notes: This was the band’s fifth studio album. The title track was the first rock record to win the Grammy for record of the year. The band won a second Grammy that year, best arrangement for voices for the tender “New Kid in Town.” Both of these singles topped the Hot 100, making Hotel California the only Eagles studio album to spawn multiple No. 1 hits.
Release Date: July 25, 1980
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Billboard 200 peak: No. 4
Certification history: Gold & Platinum: Oct. 13, 1980; Diamond: Oct. 23, 1990; Double Diamond: June 7, 2004
Top 10 Singles: None.
Notes: This is the top-selling hard rock album and the top-selling album that never made No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was the band’s seventh studio album; its first with new vocalist Brian Johnson, who was recruited following the death of Bon Scott. Amazingly, this album was released less than six months after Scott died on Feb. 19, 1980 of acute alcohol poisoning.
Release Date: Nov. 29, 1982
Label: Epic
Producer: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (37 weeks)
Certification history: Gold & Platinum: Jan. 31, 1983; Diamond & Double Diamond: Oct. 30, 1984; Triple Diamond: Dec. 16, 2015
Top 10 Singles: “The Girl Is Mine” (duet with Paul McCartney, No. 2), “Billie Jean” (No. 1), “Beat It” (No. 1), “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” (No. 5), “Human Nature” (No. 7), “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” (No. 10), “Thriller” (No. 4).
Notes: This was Jackson’s sixth studio album; his second as a grown-up pop star working with producer Quincy Jones. The album topped the Billboard 200 for 37 weeks, the most weeks by any non-soundtrack since the chart was introduced in 1956. The album was the first to spawn seven top 10 hits on the Hot 100. The album and tracks from it won seven Grammys, including album and record of the year.
Release Date: Feb. 17, 1976
Label: Asylum (now Rhino)
Producers: Glyn Johns, Bill Szymczyk
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (five weeks)
Certification history: Gold & Platinum: Feb. 24, 1976; Diamond: Aug. 21, 1990; Double Diamond: June 5, 1995; Triple Diamond: Aug. 20, 2018
Top 10 Singles: “Take It to the Limit” (No. 4), plus four previously released singles.
Notes: The Eagles were always about their songs more than their showmanship, so it makes sense that their first hits collection was such a hit. The album includes their first five top 10 hits on the Hot 100. The album was released before they released what is arguably their most classic and most famous hit, “Hotel California.”
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